Dishwasher system with a reuse tank

ABSTRACT

A dishwasher comprising a tub, a reuse tank, and a controller for implementing a wash cycle in the tub, the controller comprising a clock, the controller operably coupled to a recirculation pump and a drain pump, the controller configured (a) to cause the recirculation pump to supply liquid used during the wash cycle to the reuse tank, (b) to monitor via a clock a period of time that the liquid is within the reuse tank, and (c) when the period of time is greater than a predetermined period of time, (i) to cause a control valve in an outlet conduit to open and allow the liquid to flow from the reuse tank to a sump and (ii) to cause a drain pump to drain the liquid from the sump and out of the dishwasher.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application represents a divisional of and claims priorityto U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/865,844 entitled “DISHWASHERSYSTEM WITH A RESUSE TANK” filed Jan. 9, 2019, which is a continuationof and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/880,354entitled “DISHWASHER SYSTEM WITH A REUSE TANK” filed Oct. 12, 2015, nowU.S. Pat. No. 9,918,611, which is a divisional application of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/967,106 entitled “DISHWASHER SYSTEM WITHA REUSE TANK” filed Dec. 14, 2010, now U. S. Pat. No. 9,192,282, all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Contemporary dishwashers for use in a typical household include a washtub for storing utensils during the implementation of a wash cyclewithin the wash tub for cleaning of the stored utensils. A reuse tankmay be provided to store liquid captured from the wash tub during aprevious wash/rinse phase of the wash cycle. The stored liquid may beused in the same or subsequent wash cycles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A method of operating a dishwasher having a wash tub and a reuse tankfor storing liquid for subsequent reuse, wherein the condition of thewater in the reuse tank may be monitored and/or acted upon to limit thelikelihood of undesired effects associated with the growth ofmicro-organisms in the liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, side view of a dishwasher according to a firstembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a control system of the dishwasher shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the operation of the dishwasher according to asecond embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the operation of the dishwasher according to athird embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the operation of the dishwasher according to afourth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the operation of the dishwasher according to afifth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of the operation of the dishwasher according to asixth embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The invention is generally directed toward the reuse of liquid in adishwasher. The particular approach of the invention is to take liquidfrom any portion of a wash cycle and store it in a storage vessel forreuse. The stored liquid may be some or all of the liquid. It may betaken from one or more phases of a wash cycle, such as a wash phase,where the liquid is a mixture of detergent and water, or a rinse phase,where the liquid is primarily water, with or without a rinsing agent.The stored liquid may contain absorbed or non-absorbed soils from theutensils being washed and may not be used for an extended period oftime. Under such conditions, it is anticipated that there is apossibility of the formation and buildup of micro-organisms, which mayhave varying undesirable side effects, most notably an odor that mostconsumers consider unpleasant. The invention addresses problemsassociated with the buildup of such micro-organisms.

FIG. 1 is a schematic, side view of a treating appliance according to afirst embodiment of the invention. The treating appliance in the form ofa dishwasher 10 according to an embodiment of the invention may be anyappliance which performs a cycle of operation to treat items placedtherein, non-limiting examples of which include other types ofdishwashing units, such as in-sink dishwashers, multi-tub dishwashers,or drawer-type dishwashers. The dishwasher 10, which shares manyfeatures of a conventional automated dishwasher, will not be describedin detail herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of theinvention.

The dishwasher may have a cabinet 12 defining an interior, which isaccessible through a door 13. The cabinet 12 may comprise a chassis orframe to which panels may be mounted. For built-in dishwashers, theouter panels are typically not needed. At least one wash tub 14 isprovided within the interior of the cabinet 12 and defines a treatingchamber 16 to receive and treat utensils according to a cycle ofoperation, often referred to a wash cycle whether or not washing occurs.For purposes of this description, the term “utensil(s)” is intended tobe generic to any item, single or plural, that may be treated in thedishwasher 10, including, without limitation; dishes, plates, pots,bowls, pans, glassware, and tableware.

A lower utensil rack 18 and an upper utensil rack 20 are provided in thetreating chamber 16. The racks 18, 20 hold utensils (not shown) that maybe treated in the treating chamber 16. The racks 18, 20 may be slid inand out of the treating chamber 16 through the opening closed by thedoor 13.

A detergent dispenser 21 may be located in the door 13 or virtuallyanywhere within the dishwasher 10. It will be understood that dependingon the type of dishwasher and the type of detergent used, the detergentdispenser 21 may be incorporated into one dispensing mechanism. Thedetergent dispenser 21 may be of a single use dispenser type or a bulkdispenser type. In the case of bulk dispensing, the detergent and/orrinse aid can be selectively dispensed into the treating chamber 16 in aregulated quantity and at a predetermined time or multiple times duringa cycle of operation.

A liquid supply system is provided for supplying liquid to the treatingchamber 16 to implement a wash cycle and wash any utensils within theracks 18, 20. The liquid supply system includes liquid sprayers, in theform of spray arm assemblies 22, 24, 26, that are provided within thetreating chamber 16 and are oriented relative to the racks 18, 20 suchthat liquid sprayed from the spray arm assemblies 22, 24, 26 may bedirected into one or more of the racks 18, 20.

It should be noted that the stacked arrangement of the utensil racks andthe spray arm assemblies is not limiting to the invention. It merelyserves to illustrate the invention. For example, the invention may beimplemented in a stacked arrangement having a silverware basket, thelower and upper utensil rack, and with upper, middle, and lower levelspray arm assemblies having spray heads for the silverware basketalternatively arranged in between the lower and upper utensil rack.

The spray arm assemblies 22, 24, 26 may be fluidly coupled to therecirculation pump 34 through a spray arm support conduit 37 to receiveand spray a flow of liquid having at least water, detergent, wash aid,or mixtures thereof, to the utensils in the lower and upper utensil rack18, 20 inside the treating chamber 16.

The liquid supply system further comprises a sump 30 to collect bygravity, liquid sprayed within the treating chamber. The sump 30 isillustrated as being formed with or affixed to a lower portion of thewash tub 14 to collect liquid that may be supplied into or circulated inthe wash tub 14 during, before or after a cycle of operation. However,the sump 30 may be remote from the wash tub 14 and fluidly coupled bysuitable fluid conduits. In the illustrated embodiment, the sump 30 isdisposed within the cabinet 12.

The liquid supply system further comprises a pump assembly 32 fluidlycoupled to the sump 30, and as illustrated, may include therecirculation pump 34 and the drain pump 36. The recirculation pump 34fluidly couples the sump 30 to the spray arm assemblies 22, 24, 26through a spray arm supply conduit 37 to recirculate liquid thatcollects in the sump to the spray arm assemblies 22, 24, 26 for sprayingon the racks 18, 20. The drain pump 36 fluidly couples the sump 30 to adrain conduit 62 for draining liquid collected in the sump 30 to ahousehold drain, such as a sewer line, or the like.

The liquid supply system further comprises a reuse tank 52 for storingliquid captured during one or more phases/steps of a wash cycle forlater use in the current wash cycle and/or a subsequent wash cycle. Thereuse tank 52 may be fluidly coupled to the recirculation pump 34 by areuse tank supply conduit 50 so that liquid from the sump 30 may besupplied to the reuse tank 52. A first control valve 48 controls theliquid from the recirculation pump to either the spray arm supplyconduit 37 or the reuse tank supply conduit 50. The reuse tank 52 mayalso be fluidly coupled to the sump 30 by an outlet conduit 51 such thatliquid in the reuse tank 52 may be supplied to the sump 30 forsubsequent use. A second control valve 56 is provided in the outletconduit 51 to control the supply of liquid from the reuse tank 52 to thesump 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the reuse tank 52 is disposedwithin the cabinet 12.

As illustrated, the physical relationship between the reuse tank 52 andthe sump 30 uses gravity to supply the liquid from the reuse tank 52 tothe sump 30. Thus, only the second control valve 56 and outlet conduit51 are required. However, it is contemplated that the reuse tank 52 maybe provided at other locations, some of which may be incapable of usinggravity to supply the reuse liquid to the sump. Thus, it is contemplatedthat a pump could be provided to pump liquid from the reuse tank 52 tothe sump 30, regardless of whether gravity can be used to supply thereuse liquid. It is also contemplated that either the recirculation pump34 or drain pump 36 could be used for this purpose with the properplumbing and valving.

While liquid may be provided to the reuse tank 52 through the wash tub14 and the sump 30, the liquid may be directly provided to the reusetank 52. For example, liquid having at least one of water, detergent,and treatment aid may be separately provided and mixed, such as byrecirculation, in the reuse tank 52 to form the liquid. Alternatively,premixed mixture having at least one of water, detergent, and treatmentaid may be directly provided and mixed, such as by recirculation, in thereuse tank 52 to clean the reuse tank 52.

It is noted that the capturing step may be reiterated multiple times forthe multiple wash/rinse phases of a cycle of operation until multiplecapture steps may provide enough amount of liquid which is sufficient tofill up the reuse tank 52 while only one time capturing step during anywash/rinse phase may be performed. It is also noted that whole amount ofliquid for any wash/rinse phase during a cycle of operation may becaptured to the reuse tank 52 through the recirculation pump 34 whileonly a portion of the liquid in the wash tub 14 may be captured andprovided to the reuse tank 52.

Further as illustrated, the liquid in the reuse tank 52 may only bedrained by supplying the liquid to the sump 30 and then actuating thedrain pump 36. It is contemplated that a separate drain conduit (notshown) can be provided from the reuse tank 52 to the drain pump 36 todirectly drain the liquid in the reuse tank without the liquid enteringthe sump.

It is further contemplated that the drain pump 36, instead of therecirculation pump 34, may be used to supply the liquid from the sump 30to the reuse tank 52. In such a configuration, the reuse tank supplyconduit 50 and control valve 48 are coupled to the drain conduit 62,instead of the spray arm supply conduit 37.

While the pump assembly 32 may include the recirculation pump 34 and thedrain pump 36, in an alternative embodiment, the pump assembly 32 mayinclude a single pump, which may be operated to supply liquid to eitherthe drain conduit 62 or the spray arm support conduit 37, such as byrotating in opposite directions or by valves.

The liquid supply system further comprises a water supply conduit 58fluidly coupling a water supply to the sump 30. A third control valve 59controls the flow of water from the household supply to the sump 30.

The dishwasher 10 further comprises a control system having variouscomponents and sensors for controlling the flow and condition of theliquid to implement a wash cycle. The control system includes a heater38 that may be located within the sump 30 to selectively heat liquidcollected in the sump 30. The heater 38 may be an immersion heater indirect contact with liquid in the sump 30 to provide the liquid withpredetermined heat energy. A temperature sensor such as a thermistor 42may be provided in the sump 30 to provide an output that is indicativeof the temperature of any fluid in the sump 30. If no liquid is incontact with the thermistor 42, then the signal will be indicative ofthe ambient air temperature in the cabinet 12. A pH sensor 44 may alsobe located near the bottom of the wall or in the sump 30 and provide anoutput indicative of the pH of the liquid in the sump 30.

It is also noted that additional sensors (not shown) such as aconductivity sensor or a turbidity sensor may be fluidly coupled to thewash tub 14 to provide output indicative of condition of the liquid.

The control system may further comprise a heater 66 provided in thereuse tank 52 to heat the liquid in the reuse tank 52. A thermistor 68may be provided in the reuse tank and output a signal indicative of thetemperature within the reuse tank 52. Similar to the heater 38, theheater 66 may also be in a direct fluid contact with liquid in the reusetank 52 to provide heat energy to the liquid stored in the reuse tank52. The thermistor 68 may be positioned such that the thermistor 68 maybe in direct fluid contact with liquid in the reuse tank 52 duringmeasurement. A pH sensor 70 may be coupled to the reuse tank 52 tooutput a signal indicative of the pH of liquid in the reuse tank 52.Additional sensors may be operably coupled to the reuse tank to monitorthe characteristics of liquid in the reuse tank 52. Non-limitingexamples of additional sensors include a turbidity sensor and aconductivity sensor.

The control system may further comprise a controller 40 for implementingone or more cycles of operation. As seen in FIG. 2, the controller 40 isoperably coupled to the pumps 34, 36, heaters 38, 66, control valves 48,56, 59, thermistors 42, 68, and pH sensors 44, 70 to either controlthese components and/or receive their input for use in controlling thecomponents. The controller 40 is also operably coupled to a userinterface 72 to receive input from a user for the implementation of thewash cycle and provide the user with information regarding the washcycle. In this way, the controller 40 can implement a wash cycleselected by a user according to any options selected by the user andprovide related information to the user.

The controller 40 may also comprise a central processing unit (CPU) 80and an associated memory 82 where various wash cycle and associateddata, such as look-up tables, may be stored. One or more softwareapplications, such as an arrangement of executable commands/instructionsmay be stored in the memory and executed by the CPU 80 to implement theone or more wash cycles. The controller 40 may further include a clock84. The clock 84 may be alternatively located in another componentoperably coupled to the controller 40.

The user interface 72 provided on the dishwasher 10 and coupled to thecontroller 40 may include operational controls such as dials, lights,knobs, levers, buttons, switches, and displays enabling the user toinput commands to the controller 40 and receive information about theselected treatment cycle. The user interface 72 may be used to select atreatment cycle to treat a load of utensils. Non limiting examples oftreatment cycles include normal, light/china, heavy/pots and pans, andrinse only. Alternatively, the treatment cycle may be automaticallyselected by the controller 40 based on the soil levels sensed by anysensors in the dishwasher 10 to optimize the treatment performance ofthe dishwasher 10 for a particular load of utensils.

FIGS. 3-7 are flow charts of various embodiments of the operation of thedishwasher 10. The sequence of steps depicted in FIGS. 3-7 is forillustrative purposes only, and is not meant to limit the methods in anyway as it is understood that the steps may proceed in a differentlogical order, additional or intervening steps may be included, ordescribed steps may be divided into multiple steps, without detractingfrom the invention. The methods may be incorporated into a cycle ofoperation for the dishwasher 10, such as prior to or as part of anyphase of the wash cycle, such as a wash phase, rinse phase, and dryingphase. The methods may also be a stand-alone cycle. It is noted that themethods may be used with or without the utensils placed within thetreating chamber 16.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the operation of the dishwasher according to asecond embodiment of the invention. The second embodiment provides forusing a high pH solution to wash the reuse tank 52 to limit the growthof micro-organisms, with the benefit of using the high pH solution aspart of the wash cycle.

The method 300 may begin at 302 by supplying high pH solution, such as ahigh pH liquid having a pH equal to or greater than 8.5 to the reusetank 52. High pH solution can be directly provided to the reuse tank 52,or recirculated to form the high pH solution in the sump 30 and thenprovided to the reuse tank 52, which may be accomplished by providingwater to the sump 30 in combination with a treating chemistry, such asdetergent. The high pH solution may be flushed inside the reuse tank 52or may be stored in the reuse tank 52 for a predetermined time period toclean and remove any micro-organisms and corresponding odor in theinterior of the reuse tank 52.

At 304, the high pH solution may be supplied from the reuse tank 52 tothe wash tub 14 after the high pH solution is in fluid contact with theinterior of the reuse tank 52. At 306, the high pH solution supplied tothe wash tub 14 may be used in a subsequent cycle of operation. Thecycle of operation may be a typical wash cycle, which has one or morewash and rinse phases, with the pH solution being used for one or moreof the wash or rinse phases. If the high pH solution is a detergentmixture, it is well suited for use in a wash phase of the standard washcycle. Alternatively, the high pH solution may be used in a pre-washphase where the high pH solution may be sprayed throughout the treatingchamber 16 as part of a cycle of operation to clean the treating chamber16. In one such use, the cycle of operation may be a specific cycle forcleaning the tub 14 and may be unrelated to the washing of utensils.Under these conditions, a portion or all of the high pH solution may bereturned back to the reuse tank 52 for storage until needed for asubsequent wash/rinse phase. Alternatively, for example, in case the pHof the high pH solution decreases below a predetermined threshold aftera pre-wash or wash phase, the high pH solution may be drained throughthe drain conduit 62 outside the dishwasher 10.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the operation of the dishwasher 10 accordingto a third embodiment of the invention where a high pH solution isstored in the tank to limit the growth of micro-organisms and the pH ismonitored over time. The method 400 may begin at 402 by supplying liquidto the reuse tank 52. As with the second embodiment, the high pHsolution may be directly supplied to the reuse tank 52, or circulated toform the high pH solution in the sump 30 and then supplied to the reusetank 52. The high pH solution supplied to the reuse tank 52 for apredetermined period of time to remove any micro-organisms of the reusetank 52.

At 404, the pH of the liquid may be monitored. The monitoring may takeplace in the reuse tank 52. Alternatively, if the high pH liquid issupplied to the tub 14 for use, the pH may be monitored when the high pHliquid is in the tub 14.

The pH of the high pH liquid may not be consistently maintained afteruse or over time, resulting in the pH possibly dropping low enough to nolonger sufficiently limit the growth of micro-organisms. For example,liquid may include one or more enzymes, which may be provided withdetergent/treatment aid or may be provided separately from otherdetergent/treatment aid. The reaction between one or more of enzymesthat are present in the treating chamber 16 (e.g., one or more ofproteases, lipases and amylases) and the food soils from the utensilsmay provide constituent products that are easily soluble in liquidthrough an enzymatic reaction. The increased concentration of theconstituent products of the enzymatic reaction may decrease the pH ofliquid over time or number of cycles of operation although the initialpH of the liquid may be high enough to limit the growth ofmicro-organisms.

In case the pH of liquid is below a pH threshold, such as 8.0,corrective actions may be taken at 406. For example, liquid may bedrained to the wash tub 14, where a predetermined amount of detergentmay be added to the wash tub 14 to increase the pH to satisfy the pHthreshold. Specifically, when the pH sensor 70 provides the output whichcorresponds to the pH of the liquid that is below the pH threshold, thealgorithm stored in the controller 40 may process the difference betweenthe pH of liquid and the pH threshold to calculate the amount ofdetergent that may increase the pH of liquid to the pH threshold. Thecalculated amount of detergent may be provided to the wash tub 14 in theform of powder, liquid or mixture thereof. Alternatively, the pH ofliquid may be monitored using the pH sensor 44 positioned inside thewash tub 14 until the addition of detergent may have reached a pHthreshold, such as 8.5 or greater. The high pH liquid may then besupplied back to the reuse tank 52. In another example, liquid having pHless than pH threshold may be drained from the dishwasher 10 through thedrain pump 36 and the drain conduit 62. A new charge of high pH solutionmay then be supplied to the reuse tank 52.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the operation of the dishwasher according to afourth embodiment of the invention where the liquid in the reuse tank issanitized to limit the growth of micro-organisms.

The method 500 may begin at 502 assuming that liquid is present in thereuse tank 52, with the liquid being supplied from the reuse tank 52 tothe wash tub 14. The liquid may be sanitized in the wash tub 14 at 504.The sanitizing may be accomplished by using the sump heater 38 to heatthe liquid in the sump 30 until sanitized. The currently acceptedstandard for sanitizing the liquid is to provide heat energy equal to orgreater than 3600 HEU (Heat Equivalent Units) to the liquid to kill anymicro-organisms, which will stop the associated odor.

One method of providing the 3600 HEU is to activate the heater 38 toheat the temperature of the liquid such as water to a range from about62 to 77 degrees Centigrade for a time period of 900 to 10 seconds.Sanitization may be alternatively performed at a lower temperature forlonger time, or at a higher temperature for shorter time as long as theheat energy satisfies the requirement of 3600 HEU. The thermistor 42 maybe used to monitor the temperature of liquid and the clock 84 to trackthe time. The controller 40 may receive the inputs and make the finaldetermination that a sanitizing combination of temperature and time hasbeen reached. After sanitization, the liquid may be returned to thereuse tank 52 to clean any micro-organisms that may be present in theinterior of the reuse tank 52. Alternatively, the sanitization may beperformed in the reuse tank 52 using the heater 66 and thermistor 68without draining the liquid to the reuse tank 52.

The sanitization may be performed periodically to kill the buildup ofmicro-organisms. For example, the sanitization may be repeatedlyperformed at a predetermined time interval regardless of the number ofcycles of operation performed by dishwasher 10. In another example, thesanitization may be performed after a predetermined number of cycles ofoperation are performed. In yet another example, the sanitization may beperformed anytime the liquid is supplied to the tub 14.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the operation of the dishwasher 10 accordingto a fifth embodiment of the invention where the ambient air temperatureis monitored to determine environmental conditions to the dishwasherthat are adverse to the presence of the liquid in the reuse tank. Themethod may begin at 602 by supplying liquid to the reuse tank 52.

The ambient air temperature may be monitored by the thermistor 42coupled to the sump 30 at 604. The ambient air temperature may includethe air temperature measured inside the dishwasher 10, including the tub14, sump 30, drain conduit 62, or reuse tank 52, or around thedishwasher 10, using the thermistors 42, 68. When not executing a cycleof operation, there will come a time that the temperature in the sump30, whether or not there is water in the sump 30, will be generallyequal to the ambient temperature. Alternatively, the thermistor 68coupled to the reuse tank 52 may be used to monitor the ambient airtemperature when the temperature in the reuse tank 52 has equalized withthe ambient temperature.

At 606, when the ambient air temperature is less than a predeterminedthreshold temperature, the liquid in the reuse tank 52 may be drainedfrom the reuse tank 52. One contemplated temperature threshold is onethat would indicate the liquid is likely to freeze, which might damagethe tank 52. The temperature threshold may be set at a suitable safetymargin above the freezing temperature, such as 3 degrees Centigrade. Thedraining of the liquid from the reuse tank 52 may be a multi-phaseprocess. There may be an initial drain from the reuse tank 52 to thesump 30, where the liquid would have a greater volume in which to expandand potentially cause less damage. If the ambient temperature keptdropping, the liquid could be completely drained from the dishwasher 10upon reaching a second threshold, lower than the first.

Alternatively, instead of draining the liquid from the reuse tank 52,the liquid may be heated. The heating may take place in the reuse tank52 or in the sump 30. When heated in the sump 30, the liquid may or maynot be immediately returned to the reuse tank 52. The liquid may be keptin the sump 30 until the ambient temperature rises.

It is also possible to heat the liquid in the reuse tank 52 prior todraining if it is determined the ambient temperature is such that someor all of the liquid may be frozen. In such a case, it may be desirableto not return the liquid to the reuse tank 52 until it is inspected.Thus, the liquid may be completely drained or kept in the tub 14.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of the operation of the dishwasher 10 accordingto a sixth embodiment of the invention. The method may begin at 702 bysupplying liquid to the reuse tank 52, such as by using any of thepreviously described methods. At 704, the elapsed time for the liquidremains in the tank may be monitored using the clock 84. When theelapsed time is greater than a predetermined time period such as 72hours, liquid may be drained from the reuse tank 52 at 706, such as byusing any of the previously described methods.

The invention described herein provides methods for operating adishwasher fluidly coupled to a reuse tank. The methods of the inventioncan advantageously be used when the user may need to save water or anyother liquid resources provided to the dishwasher for the subsequentwash/rinse step. Further the invention may be used to prevent thebuildup or proliferation of micro-organisms and corresponding odororiginating from liquid inside the reuse tank, which may be unfavorablefrom customer's viewpoint. By controlling operating parameters of thecomponents that are already installed with the dishwasher, thepossibility of contamination of the reuse tank by micro-organisms can beminimized. Further the damage to the dishwasher from the abrupt changein the ambient temperature can be prevented.

While the invention has been specifically described in connection withcertain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that thisis by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variationand modification are possible within the scope of the forgoingdisclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of theinvention which is defined in the appended claims. For example, whilethe present invention is described in terms of a separate embodimentdescribed in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7 respectively, it can also be implementedin embodiments as a whole. Specifically, where the dishwasher 10 isprovided with the pH sensor 70, the thermistor 42 and the clock 84,liquid may be drained from the reuse tank 52 whenever one of the pH,ambient air temperature or the time passage first satisfies thethreshold.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dishwasher comprising: a cabinet defining aninterior; a tub provided within the interior of the cabinet, the tubdefining a treating chamber to receive and treat utensils according to awash cycle; a sump disposed within the cabinet and affixed to the tub tocollect liquid used during the wash cycle; a reuse tank for storingliquid captured during the wash cycle for later use in the wash cycle ora subsequent wash cycle after the wash cycle, the reuse tank fluidlycoupled to the sump by an outlet conduit with a control valve providedin the outlet conduit to control the supply of the liquid from the reusetank to the sump; a recirculation pump fluidly coupled to the reuse tankand the sump; a drain pump fluidly coupled to the sump for drainingliquid collected in the sump; and a controller for implementing the washcycle, the controller comprising a clock, the controller operablycoupled to the recirculation pump and the drain pump, the controllerconfigured (a) to cause the recirculation pump to supply liquid usedduring the wash cycle to the reuse tank, (b) to monitor via the clock aperiod of time that the liquid is within the reuse tank, and (c) whenthe period of time is greater than a predetermined period of time, (i)to cause the control valve in the outlet conduit to open and allow theliquid to flow from the reuse tank to the sump, and (ii) to cause thedrain pump to drain the liquid from the sump and out of the dishwasher.2. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the reuse tank is disposed withinthe cabinet.
 3. The dishwasher of claim 1 further comprising: a heateroperably coupled to the controller and in thermal communication with theliquid in the sump; wherein, the controller is further configured (i) tocause the control valve in the outlet conduit to open and allow theliquid to flow from the reuse tank to the sump, (ii) to the heater toprovide at least 3600 Heat Equivalent Units to the liquid, and (iii) tocause the recirculation pump to resupply the liquid from the sump to thereuse tank.
 4. The dishwasher of claim 1 further comprising: a pH sensorcoupled to the reuse tank, operably coupled to the controller, andconfigured to output a signal indicative of the pH of the liquid in thereuse tank; wherein, after receiving the signal from the pH sensor anddetermining that the pH of the liquid in the reuse tank is below apredetermined pH, the controller is further configured (i) to cause thecontrol valve in the outlet conduit to open and allow the liquid to flowfrom the reuse tank to the sump, (ii) to cause a predetermined amount ofdetergent to be added to the tub, and (iii) to cause the recirculationpump to resupply the liquid from the sump to the reuse tank.
 5. A methodof operating a dishwasher comprising: supplying liquid to a reuse tankof a dishwasher for subsequent use with the dishwasher; monitoring aperiod of time that the liquid is within the reuse tank; and drainingthe liquid from the dishwasher when the period of time is greater than apredetermined period of time.
 6. The method of claim 5, whereinsupplying liquid to the reuse tank comprises directing liquid from awash cycle of the dishwasher to the reuse tank.
 7. The method of claim5, wherein supplying liquid to the reuse tank comprises directing liquidfrom a wash phase of a wash cycle of the dishwasher to the reuse tank;and the liquid is a mixture of detergent and water.
 8. The method ofclaim 5, wherein supplying liquid to the reuse tank comprises directingliquid from a wash phase of a wash cycle of the dishwasher to the reusetank; and the liquid contains soils washed away from utensils during thewash cycle.
 9. The method of claim 5 further comprising: dispensingdetergent from a detergent dispenser of the dishwasher into a treatingchamber during a wash cycle; wherein, supplying liquid to the reuse tankcomprises directing liquid from the treating chamber of the dishwasherto the reuse tank; and wherein, the liquid is a mixture of detergent andwater.
 10. The method of claim 5, wherein supplying liquid to the reusetank of the dishwasher comprises (i) collecting liquid in a sump affixedto a wash tub of the dishwasher and (ii) supplying liquid from the sumpto the reuse tank.
 11. The method of claim 5, wherein supplying liquidto the reuse tank comprises directing liquid from a wash cycle of thedishwasher to the reuse tank; and the reuse tank is disposed within acabinet of the dishwasher, and the wash cycle occurred within thecabinet of the dishwasher.
 12. The method of claim 5, wherein supplyingliquid to the reuse tank comprises supplying liquid premixed with waterand detergent.
 13. The method of claim 5, wherein supplying liquid tothe reuse tank comprises supplying water to the reuse tank, supplyingdetergent to the reuse tank separately from the water, and recirculatingthe water and detergent in the reuse tank.
 14. The method of claim 5,wherein draining the liquid from the reuse tank comprises supplying theliquid from the reuse tank to a sump affixed to a wash tub of thedishwasher and actuating a drain pump that fluidly couples the sump to adrain conduit.
 15. The method of claim 5 further comprising: beforedraining the liquid from the dishwasher, providing at least 3600 HeatEquivalent Units to the liquid while the liquid is in the reuse tank.16. The method of claim 5 further comprising: before draining the liquidfrom the dishwasher, (i) supplying the liquid from the reuse tank to asump affixed to a wash tub of the dishwasher, (ii) providing at least3600 Heat Equivalent Units to the liquid while the liquid is in thesump, and (iii) resupplying the liquid from the sump to the reuse tank.17. The method of claim 14 further comprising: before draining theliquid from the dishwasher, (i) supplying the liquid from the reuse tankto the sump, (ii) providing at least 3600 Heat Equivalent Units to theliquid while the liquid is in the sump, and (iii) resupplying the liquidfrom the sump to the reuse tank.
 18. The method of claim 5 furthercomprising: monitoring the pH of the liquid supplied to the reuse tank;and after the pH of the liquid falls below a predetermined pH, supplyingthe liquid from the reuse tank to a wash tub of the dishwasher, andadding detergent to the liquid, and then resupplying the liquid back tothe reuse tank from the wash tub.
 19. The method of claim 5 furthercomprising: monitoring ambient air temperature; and after the ambientair temperature falls below a predetermined temperature, heating theliquid.
 20. A method of operating a dishwasher comprising: supplyingliquid to a reuse tank of a dishwasher for subsequent use with thedishwasher; monitoring ambient air temperature; and draining the liquidfrom the dishwasher when ambient air temperature falls below apredetermined threshold temperature.